


City lights (your body is the canvas)

by czennie127



Series: Bloodlines (NCT HP!AU) [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Attempt at Humor, Biting, Character Development, Exhibitionism, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, Hogwarts - ten years later, Light Angst, Lots of kissing, M/M, Making Love, Minor Injuries, Pining, Romance, Semi-Public Sex, Shy Lee Taeyong, Slow Build, TaeTen are both 28, Ten is a shark but a softie for Yong, Time Skips, YuTen are best friends, actual decent communication, as always: consent is very sexy, auror!taeyong, bottom!taeyong, implied depression, lawyer!ten, no mentions of the original storyline, praise kink?, ravenclaw!taeyong, slytherin!ten, ten really said: self care? never met her, top!ten, very mild choking kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:03:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24353317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/czennie127/pseuds/czennie127
Summary: It's been a decade since Ten graduated Hogwarts, leaving without ever telling Taeyong about his feelings. He's moved on, and is now one of the most respected lawyers in the wizarding world.Except not everything goes as planned, and when he meets Lee Taeyong again, he's not only the Auror in a case against one of his clients, but his downstairs neighbor too.To make matters worse, it seems Ten's feelings for Taeyong never really went away.-(this work is part of a series but can be read as a standalone)
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nakamoto Yuta/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Series: Bloodlines (NCT HP!AU) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698778
Comments: 38
Kudos: 232





	City lights (your body is the canvas)

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this story takes place ten years after its prequel, and you can read it as its own work without really needing any knowledge of the HP universe or the previous story. However, if you do want to read it, it's an enemies to lovers JohnYu set in Hogwarts, so you're more than welcome to do so :D 
> 
> If you're here just for TaeTen, I hope you enjoy! :*

Ten was always good at sneaking out, and tonight is no exception.

He knows all the good spots to hide from teachers and other students, and makes it to the Quidditch pitch easily despite it being the middle of the night. It’s the night before graduation. Yuta and the others are celebrating in the Common Room, but he figured by now they’re all drunk enough that they wouldn’t notice if he snuck out.

He slings a leg over his broom, kicks the ground and flings himself into the air, chasing the urge to put as much space as possible between himself and the ground. He circles the field a few times, his Slytherin uniform blending in with the night, and stops near one of the highest towers. Ten looks down. 

He can see the lake from here, and the Forbidden Forest, too. Most lights in the towers are on – again, it’s the night before graduation, so it’s really no surprise that most students are celebrating. Ten sighs deeply and closes his eyes for a moment, letting his natural balance keep him steady on the broom, the night wind still cold even though it’s already June.

It’s over. His time at Hogwarts is over. 

Yuta was the only one surprised when he got scouted for professional Quidditch, and it seems his future is painted golden. They still plan to get an apartment together, at least until Yuta has enough money to stand on his own feet. Ten figures his best friend will eventually move in with Johnny Seo. They’ve only been dating for a few months, but he knows Yuta too well, and doesn’t need him to say it to know he’s in love with Johnny. It’s alright. It’s what Ten always wanted for him – happiness, freedom. 

He opens his eyes again and this time he looks down. It’s a mere second, but he wonders. He wonders what would happen if he let himself fall. He figures his survival instincts would kick in and he would cast a spell before hitting the ground. Or would he? He’s very high up. Maybe panic would take over instead, leaving him frozen and helpless. 

He carefully shifts his position until he’s simply sitting on the broom, both legs on one side, dangling in the empty darkness. It’s a dangerous position. He could fall even unintentionally. 

Then he lifts his eyes and jumps a little bit, hands gripping the broom tightly. He hadn’t realised the tower he was circling was the Ravenclaw tower – blame his subconscious – and he most definitely hadn’t realised he was being watched. 

Lee Taeyong is staring at him from a window, only dimly lit by the candles behind him, and for a second their eyes meet, and then Taeyong’s gaze shifts. To Ten’s legs, his precarious balance. He lifts his eyes again. Ten feels like throwing up. 

He flips so that he’s riding his broom again and flies away so fast Taeyong can barely see him. 

He was wrong. Yuta was indeed drunk, but that didn’t stop him from noticing Ten’s absence. He’s sprawled on the couch, hand possessively on Johnny’s thigh, and they’re both giggly and tipsy and they look. Happy. When asked where he was, Ten just wiggles his eyebrows and says _having some fun_ , followed by a chorus of exasperation. It’s believable. Everyone knows he gets around. It’s good enough, even though Yuta’s eyes linger on him for a second too long, and he’s not sure his best friend believed him. But Yuta knows when to push and when to stand back.

He expects not to see him for the rest of the night after the party dies down, but a few hours before dawn he hears a knock at his door. Ten wasn’t sleeping. He often isn’t. 

“What,” he grumbles, not even bothering to sit up.

“Open up,” says Yuta’s voice on the other side of the door.

Ten flicks his wand and the door flings open. Yuta just looks at him in the semi-darkness, shuts the door quietly and crawls into bed with Ten, not quite close enough that they’re touching but enough that Ten can feel his warmth. 

“Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he replies, a little too quickly. His eyes are trained to the ceiling.

“Because it’s our last day at Hogwarts,” remarks Yuta, shoving him slightly. “And because. Lee Taeyong.” 

It hurts to hear his name like that, in the night, when nothing is there to shield Ten from his feelings. But it’s Yuta, so he can forgive him. 

“We had a wild ride, didn’t we?” Ten grins, propping himself up on an elbow. Some light is starting to creep in through the window. “And now look at you, going from being disowned to becoming a pro Quidditch player.”

“Nothing is certain yet,” replies Yuta, but he’s smiling, clearly proud. “Did you look into that apartment?” 

“Yeah. I made sure it has thick walls, too, so I never have to hear you fucking Johnny Seo _ever again_.”

Yuta flicks him on the forehead. 

“Yah. Cast a muffling spell or something.”

“I could, but then I wouldn’t have enough ammo to tease you,” smiles Ten sweetly, “ _Please, Johnny, give it to m-_ “

His awful impression of Yuta’s voice gets interrupted by said best friend trying to smother him with a pillow, and they play-fight for a few minutes until they’re both breathless, neither of them above kicking and sticking elbows in stomachs. Ten tries to push Yuta off the bed and ultimately fails. 

“So,” says Yuta, laughing a little. He turns to look at him. “Ready for the ceremony?”

“You have no idea.”

“You know Taeyong is giving the graduation speech, right?”

“Yeah.” Ten is quiet for a while, his breath evening out. “Yeah, I know. He’s Head Boy, it only makes sense.” 

“Ten…”

“Don’t.”

“Will you really not say anything? It might be the last time you ever see him.”

Ten doesn’t reply immediately. He keeps staring up stubbornly, eyes wide open, the room now bathed in the first rays of sunlight. 

“Lee Taeyong will go on to do great things,” he says eventually, voice level. “I heard he’s already been accepted into the Auror program, and he hasn’t even graduated yet. He’s the most talented wizard I know, Muggle born or not. He deserves a good life. He deserves…” _better_ , “everything. Our people, Yuta? We’re the ones who have always looked down on him.”

“Not you, though. Never you, Ten.”

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” he smiles bitterly. “Purebloods, Slytherins… Lee Taeyong has had enough of those in his life. And he proved himself better than all of us.”

“But you love him.”

Ah. There it is. 

It’s not like Ten ever envisioned this, when he first came into Hogwarts. He was a kid, and a filthy rich one at that, completely full of himself. Making friends with the infamous Nakamoto Yuta had only inflated his ego further, and for the most part he got exactly what he wanted. Yuta and him ruled over the Slytherin House like royalty. He made friends. He lost count of all the people he slept with – and it was always good, it always gave him the thrill he needed, whether he was grabbing a beautiful girl by the hips and kissing her neck, or straddling a guy and hearing his voice crack as he begged softly. Ten had loved it all. He had loved his friends the most. Yuta first, of course. Always Yuta first – not a blood brother, but it felt exactly like that after seven years. Donghyuck and Hendery, to whom Yuta and him had all but passed the crown, so they could rule the Slytherins on their last year after their seniors were gone. 

Lee Taeyong was the only thing that had not gone according to plan. Falling in love with him, specifically. Ten isn’t even sure he could pinpoint exactly when it happened. At first it was simple admiration, always concealed. Taeyong was a proud kid, and a know-it-all like most Ravenclaws, but unlike a lot of them he wasn’t just showing off. He worked the hardest out of everyone he had ever known, and his magic – it was incredible. It wasn’t in his blood, not by birth, but it was less like Taeyong was controlling magic and more like it was a part of his very being, fortified by year after year of people calling him names and telling him a Muggle born like him would never make it. The taunts had stopped when Taeyong’s magic had become so powerful a flick of his wrist and a silent spell were enough to send someone to the infirmary. And he had become untouchable – by everyone, Ten included. So he watched from afar. Hardly ever spoke to him, just marveled at his hard work, his determination; because even when he got first place, Lee Taeyong was never satisfied. He always wanted more. He always wanted to do better. And if the first time Ten had been sent to the principal’s office was because he got into a fight after someone had called Taeyong a half-breed, well, that was no one’s business but Ten’s. He watched. He admired. Eventually, he fell. It wasn’t hard and fast, but overtime, and by the time he had realised it there was no turning back. So he had learned to live with it. Because he knew that whenever Lee Taeyong looked at him, he just saw yet another one of his tormentors, another Pureblood who would try to get in his way, and Taeyong was nothing if not ambitious. He could be ruthless, too, but never cruel. He was probably the toughest person Ten had never met, but he had never seen him abuse his powers or seek retaliation. Proving everyone wrong had been enough of a revenge.

“Tennie? Did you fall asleep?”

“No,” he says, still not looking at Yuta.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes.” He pauses, then speaks before his best friend can say anything else. “I’m not gonna say anything to him, Yuta. Please, just... just drop it. Let’s just leave this place as soon as possible.” 

Ten spends the entirety of the next day staring at Taeyong, not only when he’s up on the podium giving his speech, but even after that, and before, and in the middle. He doesn’t care if anyone notices. He wants to drink in the sight of him one last time. The day is sunny, and he watches from afar as Taeyong laughs and sits by the lake with his friends, shrugging off his cape and lifting the sleeves of his uniform. The light paints his hair and skin shades an artist would be jealous of. Taeyong never looks back at him. Ten is used to it. 

The train leaves late at night and, when they arrive at the station the next day, Ten loses sight of Taeyong in the crowd. 

Just like that, he’s gone. 

Yuta looks like he’s about to say something, but Ten just shakes his head.

“Let’s go,” he smiles a little, “the world is waiting for us, Nakamoto.” 

  


*

  


Ten likes planes – and likes them even better when he books a seat in business class, which is basically all the time. Yuta made fun of him a little, saying it wasn’t worth it for the relatively short flight from Bangkok to Seoul, but the truth is, Ten also likes luxury. He always has. 

“Thank you,” he says to the man refilling his champagne glass, and smiles a little just to see him blush, to feel that familiar power rush. Time has passed but, at least on the surface, Ten Lee – that’s how he goes by whenever he’s in Korea – hasn’t changed much. 

He hasn’t grown taller, a fact which damn Johnny will never stop teasing him about (it’s not his fault Yuta’s fiancé is literally an overgrown tree), but what started as a dinner joke between him and his friends has eventually become his career. By now Ten has seen most of the world. Seoul first, where he made a name for himself, then Japan, then Europe when his ranking in the law firm had grown enough for clients to be requesting him even outside of Asia. The thing is, Ten is _good_. He was always a good magician, but he had never thought his penchant for always having the last word and his ability of getting out of any argument would end up making him the youngest associate lawyer of the most prestigious law firm in the wizarding world of Seoul. 

He fell in love for a while, when he was sent to Canada. Her name was Rita, and they could never pronounce each other’s last name; she spoke Russian, he spoke Thai, and English made them meet in the middle. They both knew it couldn’t last forever, and that Ten would eventually be sent back to Seoul, but for once he didn’t let that stop him. Ten hasn’t heard from her in over a year, and he’s okay with it. He still smiles fondly when he thinks of Rita, and of her apartment nearly at the top of one of the buildings overlooking Vancouver. He loved waking up there. Rita always laughed and said it was strange how much Ten liked the snow and cold of Vancouver. 

It’s been over six months since he’s seen Seoul now. He was sent to Bangkok for a long and taxing trial, which he eventually ended up winning despite everyone’s doubts. It was good to see his family for a while. At the very beginning his father was disappointed Ten hadn’t joined the family company right after graduating, but his parents had always been supportive, if not a little conservative. As soon as Ten had said he wanted to study law, they made sure to send him to all the best – and most expensive – schools on the planet, and at twenty-eight Ten had a curriculum longer than most people in their fifties. When he moved to London for his Master’s, that’s when Yuta and Johnny decided to move together, which everyone had already seen coming. It wasn’t always easy for them, Johnny busy running his own business which he had built from the ground up, and Yuta always travelling the world to follow his Quidditch team. But they made it work. Yuta worked especially hard, and eventually made back all the money his parents had denied him when they cut him off as soon as he came out, and then some. Ten had never been more proud of him as Yuta had walked arm in arm with Johnny at the yearly Nakamoto charity event and, under his parents’ wide eyes, had made the biggest donation of the night. 

There’s a car waiting for Ten at the airport, and people look at him a bit curiously, wondering whether he’s a celebrity, eyes taking in his designer suit and perfectly styled black hair. Ten only responds to the looks with a dazzling smile, earning blushing cheeks and whispers, and he laughs a bit to himself as he gets on the car. His driver already knows his address, so they don’t even have to speak. Ten likes it that way. 

He texts Yuta out of habit. Johnny talked the both of them into getting cell phones years ago, and while Ten had first been very skeptical, he has to admit the little devices are useful. He still doesn’t get the Muggles’ obsession with them, but they’re faster than an owl, and he doesn’t feel like teleporting whenever he wants to talk to someone. He’s a bit disappointed he won’t be able to see Yuta and Johnny tonight, but Yuta just finished Quidditch season so it’s understandable they’d want to spend some time on their own. He’s looking forward to being back in his penthouse, the big glass windows overlooking Seoul and making him feel like he holds the city in the palm of his hand. And, in a way, he does. 

Ten thanks the driver out of habit when he pulls up to his apartment complex, and still gives him a huge tip even though he already pays him more than enough. But it’s a good way to keep him friendly, and to keep him from spilling all the secrets that Ten’s clients like to whisper on the backseat of his car. 

He’s greeted politely by the doorman, who welcomes him back to Seoul, and Ten comfortably slips back into Korean, not minding the small talk. The man is a Muggle and blissfully unaware of who Mr. Lee, as he calls him, really is; but he’s polite and never pries into Ten’s business, which he appreciates a lot. He also doesn’t ask questions about all the people who come and go from Ten’s apartment – mostly his clients, sometimes his friends, often whoever he decides to spend the night with. 

Turns out Yuta is a liar, and a good friend, too. 

He shouldn’t be as surprised as he is by the welcome back party. Yuta has a key to his apartment, and he and Johnny sneaked in and supplied it with enough alcohol and food for an army. 

“You snake,” laughs Ten, hugging Yuta close, “ _I’m sorry, Tennie, I won’t be able to make it tonight…_ ”

“Shut up,” grins back Yuta, patting him on the back. “Welcome back.”

“Don’t you dare leave Seoul ever again,” smiles Johnny lazily as a greeting. “I can only take so much of his whining, I _need you_ as a buffer.”

“Sorry, man,” they both laugh at a sulking Yuta’s expense, “you chose him, now you’re stuck with him.”

Yuta smiles quietly at the matching gold bands on both of their fingers – a promise of the future to come.

There are more people waiting in the living room, and Ten immediately feels the stress of the trial being lifted from his shoulders as Hendery and Donghyuck basically tackle him to the ground, Donghyuck leaving a sloppy kiss on his cheek just to annoy him. He hits him playfully on the back of the neck.

“Respect your elders,” smirks Ten, then going to greet Irene, who’s lounging on the couch with a glass in hand, talking to one of the most stunning women Ten has ever seen. 

“Before you even try it,” says the woman, after introducing herself as Hyejin, “I’m with Jaehyun, so don’t bother.”

“Aw, man,” he laughs as he spots Johnny’s best friend behind the counter, busy talking to Hendery and making drinks. “Really? Jung Jaehyun? You could do so much better, miss.”

“What can I say,” winks Hyejin, “he has a pretty face.” 

She’s not a witch, but apparently knows everything about Jaehyun and the rest of them, and is seemingly uncomfortable with none of it. That makes Ten curious and, when he asks, Hyejin just smiles that panther smile of hers and shrugs.

“I’ve always thought it was naïve to assume the world doesn’t keep secrets.” 

“Seriously, Jung,” says Ten, approaching the marble counter and shaking his head, “how you managed to bag such a gorgeous and smart one, is really beyond me.”

Jaehyun laughs good-naturedly. 

“What can I say, man. Some of us are just born with it.” 

“He probably has a big dick,” intervenes Hendery, making Jaehyun choke on his drink. He’s mostly gotten used to their mismatched group of friends, but he’s still a Gryffindor after all. “I can’t think of any other reasons, really, because personality and looks are clearly lacking.” 

“You,” Jaehyun points a finger, “spend way too much time with Donghyuck.”

“Hand me a drink, Jung,” grins Ten, and Jaehyun just rolls his eyes and mixes way too many liquors together – seriously, who thought it was a good idea to have him as the designated bartender for the night? – and eventually hands him the glass.

“If you poison me in my own home, Jung, I swear to god – “ 

“I don’t doubt you would resuscitate just to drag me to a trial, don’t worry.”

“Impressive, by the way,” says Yuta, sneaking up behind him, “I saw part of your trial on the news. You crushed it.” 

Yuta is the only one of his friends who understands Thai, even though he doesn’t speak it perfectly, and Ten looks smug.

“There’s a reason why they say I’m the best,” he replies, throwing in a cheeky smile.

“Too much talking, not enough drinking,” chirps in Donghyuck, hugging Hendery from behind and resting his head on his shoulder. Hendery rolls his eyes but doesn’t shake him off. “I bought the most fucking expensive tequila on the market.”

“A man after my own heart,” nods Ten.

“Did I hear shots?” calls Hyejin from the couch. Irene smiles fondly.

What follows reminds Ten a lot of their old parties at Hogwarts, except his alcohol tolerance is better now (Jaehyun’s is as shitty as ever, though, which makes for a lot of funny memories) and he’s learned to turn his anger into what Yuta graciously calls _fighting spirit._ Johnny just calls it Ten being a shark, which makes him laugh because he’s not wrong after all. He likes the way Johnny always speaks his mind. It’s one of the reasons why he trusts him with his best friend’s heart.

“Isn’t this amazing?” yells Donghyuck over the speakers, playing what apparently is one of the trendiest songs in the Muggle world at the moment. “And the singers are all so hot too, I swear I would gladly choke on – “ 

Hendery slaps a hand over Donghyuck’s mouth, giggling uncontrollably.

“Seems like the kids have had a little bit too much to drink,” grins Irene, who probably had twice has much but is still looking as composed as ever.

“It’s Jaehyun’s fault,” whines Donghyuck, while an exasperated Hendery tries to get him to wear his coat. “You make a mean margarita, man, but your alcohol to juice ratio is seriously off.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t die,” promises Hendery.

“Take a cab,” yells Ten before the two leave. 

“I’m sober enough – “ 

“You’re not driving, Kunhang.” 

“Yes sir,” he murmurs, dragging Donghyuck out the door.

“Cute,” smiles Yuta, leaning tipsily against Johnny, “they still listen to us like back in the day.” 

“Hendery does,” huffs Ten, amused. “Donghyuck is a little shit.” 

They keep Donghyuck’s admittedly good music for a while, and Yuta and Johnny are the last ones to leave once the sun comes up, all of them having mostly sobered up by now. 

“Dinner at our place next week,” makes him promise Johnny, “Yuta is learning how to cook, you have to try it.”

“I won’t let you suffer alone, don’t worry.”

“My cooking is delightful,” grumbles Yuta, kicking his fiancé in the shin viciously. 

“You burned _noodles_ ,” wheezes Johnny with a pained expression, grabbing his leg. “I didn’t even know that was possible.” 

“You should just get a house elf,” laughs Ten.

“Elves can be creepy as hell,” says Johnny with a grimace.

“Yeah, I don’t feel like having them listen in when we fuck,” adds Yuta sagely, and Johnny looks positively done with him. Ten feels something warm in his stomach, and it hits him at once when the two finally leave. It was good to be in Thailand for a while, but he missed his friends. He also needs a shower, because he reeks of alcohol and has to be at work in two hours. 

Ten is good at running on no sleep. He didn’t get to where he was by slacking off, and his job is the one place where he doesn’t like to use his family name to get his way. He’s gotten used to a somewhat lonely life, missing his meals to meet with clients, running on coffee until late at night and getting up early in the morning again to head to the firm. Still, he’s exhausted from his flight, but he makes sure to shower quickly and pick one of his best suits for his first day back. 

“Mr. Lee?” 

Ten turns around to look at the doorman, who’s standing awkwardly as he watches Ten about to leave the building, car keys in hand.

“Good morning, Mr. Seong. I apologise, I’m a little jet-lagged,” he says, assuming the man called him back because Ten passed him by without saying so much as a word.

The man puts up his hands. “Oh no, Mr. Lee, it’s no problem at all. It’s just that earlier your downstairs neighbor came to me for a noise complaint.”

Ten gives his signature charming smile. “I’ll make sure to talk to Mrs. Jang, it won’t happen again. My friends were just overexcited last night.”

“Mrs. Jang moved out two months ago while you were away, sir,” says the doorman, almost shyly. “We have a new tenant.”

“Regardless, it won’t happen again,” says Ten softly, smile reassuring, and the man visibly relaxes. He forgot to cast a spell to muffle the noise. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for – “ 

His sentence gets interrupted by the loud ringtone of his phone (it’s the same damn song Donghyuck was playing last night, he must have set it while Ten wasn’t looking) and he quickly apologizes to Mr. Seong to pick up the phone. 

“Why are you calling me at not even eight in the morning, Oh Sehun?” he says, stepping out for a smoke after waving a greeting to his doorman. 

Sehun couldn’t sound more embarrassed as he says: “Sorry, I know you only got back last night, but I have kind of a situation.”

Ten rubs his forehead. Back to work. 

“Situation?”

“I’m at the Auror headquarters right now. I figured calling my lawyer was the first thing I should do.” 

Ten curses him mentally several times – seriously, he hasn’t even stepped foot into the office and one of his clients is already in trouble? – but he breathes deeply instead and asks Sehun to give him the address. Then he gets into his car and drives quickly downtown, speeding a little bit when he can because he knows Sehun is smart, but Aurors are as well, and he might end up saying something he shouldn’t.

Ten marches into the headquarters like he owns the place, and pins the man at the front desk with a stare, demanding to know where Oh Sehun is. He doesn’t need to cast a spell for him to look clearly intimidated and point at a door in the next corridor.

Ten slams the door open.

“I’m Ten Lee, Mr. Oh’s lawyer,” he says automatically, voice cold and firm. He turns to Sehun before he looks at the detectives, and his client has the decency to look sheepish. Ten whips his head towards the Aurors. “Do you mind telling me why you have summoned my client on what I assume – “ he pauses for a second and feels his heart skip a beat. He clears his throat. “On what I assume are baseless charges?” he finishes, voice a little lower.

He thinks he recognizes one of the two from back in the day in Hogwarts. Kim Doyoung, if his memory doesn’t fail him. He grew up well, his cheeks no longer chubby and cheekbones high and defined, black hair falling into his eyes. If Ten wasn’t so annoyed, he might even find him attractive. 

He definitely recognizes the second man.

It’s Lee Taeyong.

Ten had left Hogwarts ten years prior with the assumption he and Taeyong would never meet again. And he needs sleep, and a coffee, and probably some food, and he’s so not fucking ready to see Lee Taeyong again after all these years, crisp Auror uniform falling on his shoulders – broader than before – and his eyes exactly the same. Dark. Focused. Age couldn’t have treated him better, and Ten should look away but he can’t, gaze fixed on the somehow still familiar shape of Taeyong’s mouth, lips curving prettily, his jaw strong and sharp, hair a bit longer than how he used to keep it but still perfectly styled. It’s not his natural black anymore, but he dyed it a soft shade of caramel, and his skin is a little more tanned. He looks like he’s bathing in sunlight, skin and hair and eyes dripping with honey. 

“We were just having a conversation with Mr. Oh,” replies Doyoung, hands planted on the desk. “We told him there was no need to call his lawyer, but he insisted.” 

“Good thing my client knows his rights.” Ten gives Doyoung a smile, but this time it’s sharp and doesn’t reach his eyes. It says: _don’t get any closer if you don’t want to get burned._ “Now, can I also assume you have no actual charges against him and that he’s free to go?”

“Your client should be cooperative,” says Taeyong quietly and fuck, his voice is deeper, a bit raspier than Ten remembered and _fuck fuck fuck he needs to get out of here right now._ “It’s better to do so now, than when we drag him back here with an arrest warrant.”

So no good cop-bad cop, huh. Just bad cops. Ten can deal with it.

“Interesting words,” he muses, motioning for Sehun to stand up, “but alas, they’re just that: words. So, gentlemen, if you don’t mind my client and I will be going. I wish you a good day. I bet there are plenty of actual criminals for you to catch,” he adds before leaving, razor-sharp smile still in place. 

When they get outside he has to physically refrain himself from smacking Sehun.

“What the fuck?” he hisses, grabbing him by the shoulder. Ten doesn’t really need height to look tall or imposing – he’s self-assured enough. 

“I’ll tell you everything,” whispers Sehun back, “I promise. Can I come to your office later?” 

“One o’clock sharp. And I want the whole fucking story, Sehun. They didn’t seem that willing to let this go.” 

He watches Sehun drive away for a few seconds, then Ten sighs and sits on the hood of his own car, lighting the cigarette he wasn’t able to finish before. Damn it. Not even twenty-four hours since he’s been back in Seoul and he already needs a fucking break. 

“Long time no see, I guess.”

Ten turns around so fast it hurts his neck, but tries to look unfazed as he sees Lee Taeyong approach him tentatively, hands buried in his pockets. He takes a second to ponder about how life is unfair and how Lee Taeyong grew up to look like a fucking supermodel who should be on magazine covers instead of in a Ministry office. 

“Lee Taeyong, right?” he says, feigning disinterest.

He sees Taeyong almost jump a little, like he’s surprised Ten barely even remembers his name. He wishes.

“Yeah,” he replies slowly, “we were in the same year at Hogwarts. You were always hanging around that Quidditch player, Nakamoto Yuta.”

Ten grins. “And you were the Head Boy. I remember.” He pauses. “Good speech, by the way. At graduation. I never got to tell you that.” 

“Ah.” Taeyong seems even more puzzled. “Thanks? I’d heard you were a lawyer, it’s surprising we didn’t meet sooner.” 

“I’ve been traveling a lot,” Ten says with a shrug, “I just got back from Bangkok last night. Truly, this is not how I wanted to spend my morning.”

To his surprise Taeyong chuckles, even though it’s still a little awkward. 

“Then I guess I should leave you to it.”

“I was on my way to get a coffee, actually,” says Ten before he can stop himself. He immediately wishes to swallow his own damn tongue. “If you’d like to come along.” 

Taeyong stares at him for a second and Ten thinks he should really learn how to shut the fuck up for once. 

“Yeah, sure,” he says, a little doubtful. “I mean, we don’t have a case yet, so it’s not like it’s a conflict of interest.”

“Some things never change,” grins Ten, and for some reason Taeyong blushes a little, which looks adorable and makes Ten seriously want to scream into a pillow. “It’s a coffee and some catching up, Lee Taeyong. Relax. We can take my car,” he adds, because he never misses a chance to show off his car – or clothes, or apartment, or anything else he earned with his own money. 

They get into the car quietly and Ten drives them to the nearest (and, of course, fanciest) coffee shop. Ten keeps telling himself it’s normal, it’s okay, they went to school together and it’s completely fine to get a coffee and chat a bit after ten years of not seeing each other. It’s not like he spent most of his teenage years being hopelessly in love with Lee Taeyong. Right.

“I wouldn’t have guessed that,” chuckles Taeyong, as Ten accepts his cup and tips the server way too much as usual.

“What?” he asks, turning back a little.

“Your coffee order.” 

“Black coffee makes me want to die,” admits Ten, pulling out a chair and sitting in front of Taeyong. He got a cup of tea for himself, which is weird and not endearing at all. “It’s like men who only drink neat Scotch at the bar. It tastes like shit, they _know_ it tastes like shit, but their fragile masculinity can’t take enjoying a pina colada in peace.”

Taeyong actually laughs at that, eyes studying him.

“You’re… different from what I remember,” he says slowly. He takes a sip of his tea, burns his tongue on it then gently lifts the plastic lid to blow on the surface. Ten can’t make it a full two seconds before he’s back at staring at his mouth. “But I guess I didn’t really know you back then either. And I was a piece of work myself,” he grimaces after that. 

“You weren’t so bad,” chuckles Ten, feeling the tension lessen a bit. Taeyong smiles coyly and lifts an eyebrow.

“I thought you didn’t even remember my name?” 

“Ah,” Ten smiles into his coffee, “I guess memories are coming back to me now.” He stays silent for a while and then, trying to look uninterested, he asks: “So, how have you been? Seems like your job situation is sorted. Wife, kids?” 

Taeyong coughs a little, cheeks reddening, and looks up at Ten almost nervously.

“It’s not exactly… legal for me to marry in this country.”

Oh. _Oh_. 

“Don’t look so nervous, you knew me back in school,” huffs Ten. 

Taeyong grins a bit. “Yeah, sorry. I just didn’t know if that was, uh, an experimental phase?”

“No phase.” Ten laughs. “Men, women, I like to enjoy the best of both worlds.”

The other man snorts. 

“Good for you that you’re still having fun, then.” 

“Yeah, I wish,” Ten leans back into his chair, “work doesn’t leave much space for anything, to be honest.”

“That’s… unexpected. I don’t really remember you…”

“Trying hard in school?”

“Yeah,” Taeyong smiles apologetically. “Sorry.”

He conceals a laugh. “It’s alright, you’re not wrong. I guess time changes people.” 

“I guess it does,” repeats Taeyong, staring right into his cup of tea. 

They part ways a little awkwardly after Ten drives Taeyong back to the Ministry of Magic, and he has to remind himself to focus at least every thirty second as he drives to his office in the heart of Seoul. He kind of wants to text Yuta. He also doesn’t want anyone to think this means anything – because it doesn’t. His feelings for Taeyong were juvenile, the hopeless one-sided love story of a teenager, and he’s been over it for a decade. It’s not like seeing him once is bringing back all of it – at least that’s what he tries to tell himself as he greets his coworkers, then shuts himself in his office to pull all his files on Sehun and get ready for the meeting.

He gets home late, and exhausted. That idiot Sehun managed to get himself into quite a bit of financial trouble, and they have to do everything they can to keep the Aurors from finding out. As he pulls up his car, Ten honestly thinks he might be about to pass out because he can’t recall the last time he slept or had something to eat – and Jaehyun’s overly alcoholic drinks really don’t count. 

All of a sudden, Ten sees three shadows on the side of the building, dimly lit by the streetlamps; and he could very much be hallucinating from exhaustion, but he’s pretty sure one of them is Lee Taeyong. So of course he flings himself out of his car without so much as thinking about it, and of course he gets a punch to the face and a split lip by one of the two men before he can even cast a spell, losing his grip on his wand during the scuffle. Luckily, Ten is nothing if not resourceful, and the knowledge on how to bust someone’s kneecaps does come in handy as Taeyong casts a quick Stupeficium on the other man. He looks at Ten bewildered, then at the man crying in pain on the floor.

“Hi again,” Ten spits out some blood and wipes his lip with the back of his hand, “care to explain?” 

They wait for the Aurors to come pick up the two assailants – Ten briefly meets Doyoung again, who throws a surprised look at his split lip but doesn’t ask questions – and after that he allows himself to sit quietly on the sidewalk and breathe a little.

Ten laughs incredulously.

“Wait, so you _live here_?”

“Um, yes? I moved in two months ago. I got a raise,” Taeyong shrugs.

“What floor?”

“Second to last, why?”

Ten might as well be losing his mind. “Did you, by any chance, file a noise complaint against me this morning?”

Taeyong stares at him. “Wait – _you_ were the one making all that noise last night? I couldn’t sleep one bit!”

“Sorry,” he’s smiling even though it hurts his lip, not apologetic at all, “forgot to cast a spell, my friends surprised me. I _did_ tell you I just got back to Seoul yesterday.”

Taeyong snorts and shakes his head in disbelief.

“What are the odds, seriously.” He looks at Ten for a few seconds. “Wait, let me fix that for you.” 

Ten knows he’s referring to his lip, and he’s fully capable of casting a healing spell on himself. There’s also a certain level of trust in allowing someone to raise their wand at you, but Ten just looks at Taeyong in the eyes and nods. A few seconds after, the wound is sealed and there’s no more blood on his face. 

“Thanks. Mind telling me why I got punched in the face, now?” 

“I guess those two weren’t too pleased that we busted their organization’s entire operation,” Taeyong grins a little proudly. “They probably figured a little revenge was due. Thanks for… stepping in, by the way.” This time it comes out a little forced, like it costs Taeyong a lot to say it. “I didn’t peg you for a fighter.”

Ten laughs softly and gestures to his now half-ruined suit.

“I’m not.” 

“That guy you just sent to the hospital would disagree.”

“Well, you don’t grow up in a full Slytherin house without learning how to put someone into the ground. Figuratively,” he adds, smile sharp.

“Right,” says Taeyong, as if he’s suddenly reminded of something. He averts his gaze. “You seem unharmed, anyway. We can go back inside.”

His voice sounds very unsure. Most of the time this Taeyong feels new – not just because he’s older, but he’s less guarded, doesn’t have to prove himself as much anymore. He’s done that plenty of times already. But sometimes something different and old comes out. Caution. The notion ingrained in his brain since he was a child: don’t trust Slytherins. Don’t trust purebloods, most of all.

“Not even gonna offer me a beer as a thanks?” 

It slips out of Ten’s mouth before he can really think it over and, as he finally rises from the sidewalk and dusts his suit off, he can feel Taeyong’s wary eyes on him, looking him up and down. He seems uncomfortable. Ten feels a familiar sense of disappointment and covers it up with a nonchalant grin.

“I’m kidding, Lee, you don’t have to – “ 

“Sure,” Taeyong interrupts him, and they both stay quiet for a few seconds. Taeyong clears his throat. “Sure, you can come up for a drink.”

The ride in the elevator is quiet, and Taeyong seems a little shy as he opens the door to his house, Ten immediately shrugging off his jacket. The apartment is not as big as Ten’s, but it’s still huge for one person, and luxurious in its own simplicity. It’s clear Taeyong doesn’t like to show off, and there’s no expensive art or carpets like in Ten’s place, but all the furniture is brand new, the windows are big and the surfaces squeaky clean. Nothing seems out of place.

“Nice place you got yourself,” whistles Ten, sitting on the edge of the table as he watches Taeyong turn on the lights (he actually uses the switch instead of his wand) and rummage through the fridge.

“I thought you would be more of a red wine guy,” says Taeyong, tossing him a beer which Ten catches automatically, and Taeyong smiles quietly at that.

“What?” 

“Nothing. Your Quidditch reflexes are still there.”

“Are you testing me, Lee Taeyong?”

Taeyong laughs a bit, not too loud, almost like he isn’t sure he’s allowed. This time he does use magic to open both of their bottles, and he goes to sit by the window, taking a swig. 

“Maybe.”

“Are you okay, by the way?” asks Ten, sipping the beer as he sits next to him. He allows himself to look at Taeyong for a little longer than necessary; it’s been so long he figures he deserves it. “I mean…”

“They didn’t have time to get their hands on me,” scoffs Taeyong. He shakes his head. “You know, Doyoung was there too when we made the arrest. They could have gone for him, but they probably figured I was an easier target.”

He doesn’t even try to hide the bitterness in there, and takes a quick look at Ten but immediately looks away right after. Ten gives a dry laugh.

“Fucking fools,” he says, relaxing against the leather armchair. “I’m pretty sure every wizard and witch in Seoul knows not to mess with Lee Taeyong.”

He gives him a surprised look. 

“Was that a compliment?” he asks, and it’s half-teasing, but even though the lights are low Ten can still make out a faint dusting of blush on his cheeks. He looks stunning. Ten feels his throat close up a bit.

“What, are you surprised? You were and still are the most impressive wizard I’ve ever known.”

Taeyong drinks quietly for a while.

“You didn’t talk to me much,” he says eventually. “I mean, back at Hogwarts.”

Ten is a little surprised by that, and he hesitates.

“Ravenclaw Head Boy and a Slytherin troublemaker?” he says eventually, ignoring the way his chest constricts a bit at the memory. “Not exactly a solid ground for friendship. Besides,” he adds, his tone lightening, “you did have an air of _talk to me and I’ll cut off your limbs._ ”

“What? _Me_?” Taeyong looks a little shocked and Ten raises an eyebrow. “I was just… A little defensive, you could say. Especially with…” he looks away again, “certain people. You know how it is.” 

“It gets old fast, Lee, this whole prejudice thing. I don’t recall me or any of my friends ever saying a word against you.”

“You weren’t exactly in the majority either,” says Taeyong bitterly. He has already finished his beer and Ten jolts when he reaches out and steals Ten’s own. “Teenagers can be assholes. Especially rich and privileged ones.”

“That felt a little personal.”

“I never had anything against you, you know.”

“Are you sure?”

Taeyong takes a while before replying, then ducks his head, looking a little ashamed. 

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re right, just a little bit, but you don’t… you don’t get it. You can’t.” There’s something sharp in his eyes again. Ten wishes he could see kindness in them. Trust, even. But it’s not his place. Lee Taeyong has never trusted him or anyone of his kind. “I had to keep my defenses up, still do. Not everyone has it easy.”

“I can assure you,” he gives a somber laugh, “most of us didn’t have it easy either. Try having your family marrying you off to random strangers, or disowning you because you didn’t follow orders, and then we’ll talk.” 

“I heard about Nakamoto. That was… surprising.”

“What can I say. The bastard was always too brave for his own good,” he grins a little and he knows he looks proud. “Should’ve ended up in Gryffindor.” 

“Are you two still friends?”

Ten laughs. “Of course. With a few obnoxious additions, but Yuta and I were in it together from the start.”

“I’ve always found it fascinating,” murmurs Taeyong, tongue a bit loosened by the alcohol, “this loyalty of yours.”

Ten wants to say, _I’ve always found you fascinating._ He wants to say, _It’s been ten years of not seeing you and barely hearing of you yet I still feel like I can’t breathe whenever I look at you._ But he knows he can’t. Lee Taeyong has always been forbidden for him. And besides… they don’t know each other anymore, they even barely did before. 

“You said you didn’t always have it easy,” says Taeyong, interrupting his thoughts. “What was the hardest part?”

The answer is too obvious, too fast. The truth. Ten might be a good liar, but that doesn’t mean he enjoys it. 

“Being in love.”

That seems to genuinely surprise Taeyong, and he turns to look at him with wide eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Ah,” Ten smiles a little, grabs his beer back and finishes the last sip. “There was a person I… couldn’t have. No matter how much I wanted to. I guess it still hurts a bit, to think back on it. First love and all that. It leaves a mark.” 

“Was it because of your family?” asks Taeyong quietly. “That you couldn’t have them?”

Ten gets up, grabs both empty bottles and throws them in the trash (of course Taeyong recycles).

“No,” he looks at him from the counter, Taeyong still sitting by the window, still looking every bit as breath-taking. “No, I was a coward. It was entirely my fault.” 

  


*

  


“So are you gonna spill?”

“What?” mutters Ten, accepting his glass from the waitress with a blinding smile. 

“You did say you wanted to see me alone,” replies Yuta, knowing smile always in place, his long hair brushed back. 

“Did you tell Johnny you’d be meeting me?”

“Of course not. You asked me not to.”

Ten knew the answer already, and loves that about Yuta – the reassuring knowledge that their bond goes beyond anything, and that Yuta is not above a few white lies if it comes to Ten, not even if it means lying to Johnny. Ten needs that, sometimes, a reminder that he’s still important in his best friend’s life, especially now that Yuta is basically a celebrity and this close to marrying the love of his life. He’d never admit that, of course, but Yuta knows too – Johnny probably does as well. He has long learned never to be jealous of what Yuta and Ten have. 

“I have… a new case.”

“Mm-mh,” still that cat-like smile.

“And I met an old acquaintance.” Yuta perks up at that, eyes shining with curiosity. Ten hides his face with his glass of wine as he quietly mutters: “Lee Taeyong. At the Auror headquarters.”

“Oh. _Now_ I get it.”

Ten snorts. “Don’t get smart with me. Get what?”

“Tennie, it’s been ten years yet you still need to be holed up in a winery deep in Nocturn Alley to even speak his name. Don’t play oblivious. You were always better than that.”

“Better than you, you mean?”

“That too,” admits Yuta with a lazy smile. “So?”

“So it’s… it’s nothing. We grabbed a coffee, chatted a little. He likes men. I got punched. He gave me a beer.” 

Yuta just stares at him for a while.

“Why am I even surprised by your life anymore?” He pauses. “Who punched you?”

“Some thug. Taken care of, don’t worry.”

Yuta hums quietly, but there’s the unspoken promise that if that hadn’t been the case, he wouldn’t have hesitated to help Ten take care of him however he saw fit. 

“We’re neighbors too, apparently.”

Yuta has to laugh at that. “Are you fucking with me?”

“I know.”

“I don’t know if this is a bad rom-com or an excellent one.”

“No romance or comedy, trust me. He even filed a noise complaint against me.” Yuta gives him a meaningful look. “For the party _you_ threw, don’t be gross.”

“So let me get this straight. You had not one, but two civil conversations with Lee Taeyong and managed not to make a complete fool out of yourself? That’s character development, Ten.”

“Shut up.”

“What’s the plan now?”

Ten sighs and sinks a little bit in his chair. “What plan? There’s no plan. He’s a quiet neighbor. That’s all I have to say.” 

“Are we really doing this again?” Yuta slowly massages his forehead like he’s already getting a headache. “Might I remind you that you once told me not telling him was one of your biggest regrets in life?”

“That’s – I was drunk when I said that. It doesn’t count.”

“Don’t make me hex you into telling the truth.”

“Okay, so what?” he gives in, casting Yuta an angry look. “What do I do, just show up to his house and ask him to hang out?”

“As you once told me: figure it out for yourself, man. I’m not your love counselor. _But_ ,” he adds, “I can get you drunk enough that you stop being a prick and we come up with a plan.”

Ten stares at him for a moment, then snaps his fingers towards the waitress.

“We’ll have another bottle, please.”

  


*

  


Ten feels ridiculous. He spent half an hour deciding on what to wear, because he felt it would be weird to show up to Taeyong’s place in his usual suit and dress shoes, and when he finally settled on that, he spent an additional twenty-five minutes on picking the perfect wine bottle to bring him. He needs an excuse. He can say his parents sent him wine from Thailand and he felt like sharing. It’s not weird, right? They’re neighbors. Old acquaintances. They can have a drink together once or twice. (It’s been six days since he had that beer in Taeyong’s apartment, and he hasn’t seen him since. Not like Ten’s been counting the days. He just happens to have a good memory).

So it’s definitely not weird, but still nerve-wracking enough that Ten takes the stairs instead of the elevator to shake off some energy. He would’ve called beforehand, but he doesn’t have Taeyong’s number. Maybe he should have asked their doorman to check if Taeyong was home. No, okay, that would have been weird. This is just… a spontaneous visit from a neighbor. Right. Also Ten’s hands definitely aren’t sweating, but he wipes them on his pants anyway. 

He rings the bell. 

Ten is already praying Taeyong is not home so he can bail and drink his wine all sad and alone in his kitchen, when the door opens. Except it’s not Taeyong: it’s his colleague – Kim Doyoung. No, it’s not just that. It’s Kim Doyoung comfortably wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, hair a little messy like he just woke up from a nap. In Taeyong’s house.

Ten feels something within himself shatter. They stare at each other for a moment.

“Ten Lee, right?” asks Doyoung carefully. “Um, what – “ 

“I’m Taeyong’s neighbor,” replies Ten immediately. He can feel all spontaneity immediately drain out of him, and his expression is practiced – pleasant, quiet smile; lively eyes. 

“Oh. Sorry, Taeyong is not home.” 

No. Of course he’s not. Doyoung is.

“It’s fine,” he replies with a shrug, still smiling softly. “I just got a couple of good bottles of wine from Thailand, so I figured I would share some with Taeyong, as an apology for being a little too loud last week.” He throws in a wink with that, knowing it will make Doyoung flustered. “I’ll just leave it with you, as a promise I’ll be a better neighbor from now on. Say hello to Taeyong from me when you see him!” he adds quickly, not even letting Doyoung say a word, and now talking a little too fast to truly seem at ease. “I hope you two enjoy the wine. Have a good night, Kim.”

Doyoung watches Ten Lee quickly dash for the stairs and remains still on the doorstep for a few seconds, bottle of wine still in hand.

“You too, Ten Lee,” he says after a while, then shuts the door. He chuckles a bit before dialing Taeyong’s number. 

  


*

  


After that, Ten does the thing he does best: he drowns himself in work.

When Yuta asks how the meeting with Taeyong went, he just replies it’s not even worth mentioning, and Yuta doesn’t push it. They don’t see each other for a while. The next few weeks, Ten is at the law firm from seven in the morning to midnight, sometimes even well into the night. He drives home in a tired haze; sometimes he finds time for some instant noodles or food delivery, but most of the time he just collapses in bed as soon as he gets home and does it all over again the next day. It feels familiar. It’s very much like his life before meeting Taeyong again: working all week, keeping a weekend or two free to meet up and drink with Yuta and Johnny, and if Yuta corners him one night to say he looks thinner and like he could use more sleep, Ten is hell-bent on not listening. Deep down, he knows he has no reason to act like this. But this is his default mechanism whenever anything goes wrong; suddenly he has laser focus on work and tends to forget about anything else, from his friends to himself. And if some mornings he has that feeling, the one he started having when he was thirteen and never quite left him, that feeling of drowning in the mattress and never wanting to leave the house – he doesn’t dwell on it. The skies in Seoul are grey. It makes going out more unappealing unless he’s forced to go meet a client. Truth is, Ten never properly learned how to care for himself. When he was a kid, his parents were not only loving and wealthy, but he had an army of nannies willing to cater to his every whim. When he went to Hogwarts, others were providing for his meals and all he had to do was study (and party, and have fun exploring his sexuality, which he most certainly did). After that, living with Yuta basically meant they were taking care of each other and Ten didn’t have much time to think of himself as an individual, but rather as a part of the Yuta-Ten unit. When he finally moved into his own apartment, he was already so buried in work it never occurred to him to ever slow down, nor did he have time for it. 

He knows he’ll burn out soon, like he always does. He really needs to call Yuta back unless he wants to get an earful from both him and Johnny, but after quickly resolving the Sehun business, avoiding him yet another case with the Finance Department, Ten landed a much larger scale case that’s been keeping him busier than ever. So it’s not about Taeyong, if he’s being honest with himself. Maybe Doyoung living in Taeyong’s house and probably borrowing his clothes and making him dinner and sleeping in his bed just one floor down does have something to do with it, but it’s not all there is. 

It’s one of the rare nights he manages to make it home before midnight, even though he’s already planning to work some more before going to bed. Ten has a headache despite downing a couple of pills after lunch (lunch being an iced americano) but he tells himself he knows his limits. He can go on a little while longer. 

He drags himself into the elevator and punches the button carelessly, slumping against the big mirror and feeling all strength slowly leave his body. Maybe he needs to make some more coffee, because there’s no way in hell he will have energy to work on those files without it.

“Um, hi.”

Ten suddenly opens his eyes. Taeyong is standing on the other side, the elevator doors now open. He’s tired, so all he manages is to squint and ask: “What are you doing on my floor?” 

“You’re one floor down, Ten,” replies Taeyong a little bashful.

Ten looks at the buttons like they personally offended him and mumbles an apology, before Taeyong also gets in the elevator and he finally presses the right button. He’s so not down for seeing Taeyong tonight of all nights. He feels terrible, and knows he looks like it too.

“I never got to thank you,” says Taeyong all of a sudden, before Ten can step out. “For the wine, I mean.”

“Sure,” he replies automatically. “I hope you guys enjoyed it.”

“Ah, right,” Taeyong nods, tapping on the elevator doors with his wand to keep them open. “You met Doyoung again.”

“I did.” Ten pauses, unsure what to say next. He should sound nice. Polite. They’re neighbors after all. “He seems… kind. He’s also very handsome,” he adds, trying to lighten the mood. 

Taeyong frowns and his expression visibly sours. It looks like he tried to hide it but failed immediately.

“Are you… I mean, of course. Doyoung is handsome.” He pauses. “You’re not hitting on him, are you?”

Ten is almost too tired to laugh, but not quite.

“Do I look like the type who likes to get in the way of other people’s relationships? Because, whatever you’ve heard, Lee Taeyong, I’m not. I was just trying to be polite.” 

Taeyong blushes clear as day.

“Ah, sorry. You just called him handsome out of the blue – “ 

“Again, Lee. Politeness. It’s a thing. I hope you two had a good night and enjoyed the wine. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Taeyong snorts. “As if. Doyoung left before I came back from work, and brought the bottle with him. He didn’t even finish the paperwork.” 

“He… went back to work?”

“What? No, he went to his place.”

“Oh, sorry.” Ten can only be nice and proper for so long and that time is running out quickly. “I assumed you two already lived together.”

“No way,” this time his laugh is more genuine, “we roomed for two years after Hogwarts and that was enough for me.”

Wait, what?

“I’m not sure I’m following,” admits Ten eventually. _Don’t hope. Things are never as good as they seem, Ten. You’re not lucky. Lee Taeyong was never yours to hold._ “I – sorry if this is overstepping, but isn’t he your boyfriend?”

The look Taeyong gives him is borderline horrified.

“Doyoung is married,” he says slowly, “to the same girlfriend he had while in Hogwarts. Kim Jisoo? Rings a bell?”

Truthfully, it doesn’t, but Ten is so stressed and tired and relieved all he can do is laugh hysterically for a solid minute under the mildly worried eyes of Lee Taeyong.

“I’m sorry – “ he tries, then laughs again, “I thought – oh man, I’m really tired, but I thought – “ 

“That Doyoung was my boyfriend?” guesses Taeyong with a small, incredulous laugh.

“Yeah. I mean… yeah.”

Ten is not laughing anymore. He’s just exhausted. Because Taeyong might not be with Doyoung, but that doesn’t mean he will ever be – 

“You look like you’re about to pass out,” says Taeyong after a second. “Get inside, I’m making you some tea.”

“Are you inviting yourself into my home?”

“Yes.”

Uh, okay. Not what Ten was expecting, but he’s so tired he doesn’t have it within himself to complain – he feels kind of drunk, truthfully, especially after finding out about that foolish misunderstanding – and only realizes his mind is getting clearer again a while later. Suddenly he’s on his couch and drinking the tea Taeyong made for him, and he feels much, much better. He also doesn’t quite recall how he got there.

“What did you put in this?” he asks.

“Secret recipe,” winks Taeyong, sitting down next to him, and it takes all of Ten’s willpower not to rest his head on his shoulder. “You looked like you needed it. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah.” A pause. “No. I mean, I’m not sure. I’m really busy with work.” 

“Have you eaten today?”

“I’m sorry, the mom friend role is already taken by Johnny Seo, please apply for another position.”

Taeyong laughs a little. “You weren’t lying when you said work takes up a lot of your time.”

“Yeah, especially…” He stops himself and sips on some tea. Ten looks at Taeyong for a second and finds the man already looking at him, hair soft, probably fresh out of the shower. There’s something different in his expression too. Concern? “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“I’m a good listener.”

“Really?” Ten raises his eyebrows. “I mean, we were… we’ve never been friends,” he concludes, which is a little harsh, but ultimately true. 

Taeyong gives a bitter smile. “Fair enough. I have a feeling I’m mostly to blame for that. I’ve been doing some thinking too.” 

“Such as?”

“Tell me what’s on your mind and I’ll tell you what’s on mine.”

“You really don’t like to let things go, do you?” Ten laughs weakly, then sets down the empty cup on the table. “It’s just… some days are harder than others. It was easier when I lived with Yuta because he reminded me to eat and sleep and do other things beside either work all day or lie in bed, but…” He realizes he’s been talking too quickly and takes a deep breath. “I don’t know. Sometimes I’m okay. Sometimes it’s… a lot. And I think about it, you know? The chances I missed, the things I regret. But I can’t turn back time, so I just go on.” He catches Taeyong’s eyes again and there’s something too intense there that he’s not prepared for, so he adds quickly: “Your turn.” 

Taeyong seems to snap out of it and hums quietly, nodding to himself.

“I’ve been thinking about the past, I guess,” he says carefully. “I used to be… different. I guess when people always assume the worst about you, you start to do the same to others. And I think… I don’t know, maybe I’m way off, but I think I figured it out. The thing you said, about your first love.” 

“Are we playing a game of guess?”

“I don’t think I need to guess.”

They look at each other and Ten’s stomach suddenly drops. Taeyong _knows_. He can read it clearly on his face, and he’s not smiling, he’s just looking. Ten wishes he was still a teenager and could just storm out of the room to avoid a conversation. He also wishes he stayed at the office for a little longer and never ran into Taeyong.

“I – “ he feels like he can barely breathe, “I’m really – I’m sorry, Taeyong, I was just – “ 

“Why are you sorry?”

“I was just a teenager,” says Ten quietly, which doesn’t answer his question.

“I always kind of wondered, you know?” Taeyong blushes a little. “Why you didn’t… pursue me, out of everyone. I was jealous that you seemed so confident with yourself, that you never let people’s judgement affect you.” 

“I could barely talk to you without stuttering,” breathes out Ten in disbelief, “like hell I would have _dared_ doing anything to pursue you. Besides… I was experimenting. And I was having fun, sure, but that wasn’t…” Ten pauses for a second and searches Taeyong’s face. He wishes the other was easier to read. “That wasn’t what I wanted with you,” he finishes quietly, barely above a whisper. 

“You’re not a teenager anymore, though.”

“Kind of you to notice, yes.”

Taeyong hides a small smile, then looks up. 

“I know I – I’m probably reaching,” he’s hesitating, “but I keep wondering if some of it is left, or came back to you. How you used to feel about me.” 

Ten straightens a little and tries to make his exhausted brain work for a second. Taeyong is not laughing at him, and doesn’t look disgusted either, and he’s asking questions, and he looks curious and most of all he looks _hopeful_. Ten doesn’t really know what answer he wants or expects. But he knows he can’t lie. Not to him.

“It hit me like a fucking truck all over again,” he says bitterly, and that earns a small amazed laugh from Taeyong. “The day I saw you at the Ministry. It took about five seconds for all of it to come back.”

“Why?”

Taeyong’s voice has dropped too, but there’s a different look in his eyes. Always cautious. But somehow – warmer. 

“Maybe I have a thing for uniforms, what do you know.”

“Ten, I’m being serious – “ 

“Or maybe it’s just because you’re even more unapologetic than you were before. Like you’d rather die in a battle than lose it. I mean, being the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met also helps, I’ll admit, but – “ 

Taeyong kisses him.

It takes a second for Ten’s brain to process that information – _he’s kissing Lee Taeyong, holy shit_ – but when he does it’s like a dam breaks and almost two decades of longing and watching from afar and trying to forget come crashing down on him. He wishes he could be soft, take it slow. But the truth is, Ten doesn’t even know if he’ll ever get a chance again, and he wants it all. 

He buries a hand in Taeyong’s hair and tilts his head back slightly, pressing their lips together and parting only for a second, grazing at Taeyong’s bottom lip. He hears a soft moan, faintly sees Taeyong’s closed eyes flutter, his lashes long and dark against the smooth skin of his cheeks. Ten teases his tongue against his lips before slipping it into Taeyong’s mouth, and he feels his body grow heavy and feverish, Taeyong all but melting in his grip when Ten brings up a leg to straddle him, half-sitting in his lap as he kisses him. He’s responsive even to the tiniest of touches. Ten takes his time exploring Taeyong’s mouth with his tongue, breath getting shorter at every small pleased sound the other man lets out. He lets his hand slowly caress down his face, stopping to tap lightly at his neck, where he can feel the blood rushing. He hooks his finger on the collar of Taeyong’s shirt and pulls him a little closer, testing the boundaries. The collar gets too tight around his neck for a second and Taeyong lets out a louder, breathier moan. Ten can feel the heat rise to Taeyong’s cheeks and he groans. They part, breathless, but Ten wastes no time in kissing the dusting of pink on Taeyong’s face, drunk on how flushed and affected he looks already, kissing down his neck and even allowing himself to lick and bite a little, hands brushing Taeyong’s chest through the shirt. He bites the side of Taeyong’s neck especially hard, which earns him a loud groan and a hand in his hair, Taeyong’s other arm tight around his waist. 

“Does this answer your question?” whispers Ten against his neck, soothing the bite mark with a kiss. 

“It wasn’t a bad answer,” replies Taeyong with a breathless laugh, and Ten hides his face against his neck to suppress a smile. His skin is too soft and Ten has always been weak for him, so he sneaks another kiss below his chin, then comes up and almost kisses him on the lips again, but looks at him first. This time Taeyong’s eyes are open, pupils blown wide. 

“You’re so pretty,” whispers Ten, running a finger along his lips. Taeyong parts them softly. “You know that, right?” 

“Ah – “ Ten kisses him deep, all wet tongues and desire, “How can you – how can you just say it like that – “ 

“Because it’s true,” chuckles Ten, parting once more to nibble at Taeyong’s ear, then sucking on the skin below. “Why,” he smiles against his skin, sneaky, “you don’t think I’m pretty?”

“Stop fishing for compliments.”

Ten lifts his head and looks him up and down, and for some reason that makes Taeyong flush. 

“I’m offended.”

Taeyong scoffs. “You already know you’re beautiful. There’s no use in me stating the obvious.”

Ten’s expression softens and he kisses him slowly.

“It’s different, coming from you,” he whispers, all teasing gone from his voice. He cracks his eyes open, resting their foreheads together. “Do you want to stay the night? Just to – ah, this is embarrassing,” he laughs gently, “just to sleep, I mean. I’m exhausted but – I don’t want you to go. Not yet.”

Taeyong just kisses him in response and lets Ten slowly guide him to the bedroom. It’s strange. It’s soft, and sweet, and intimate. Ten never had something like this, but he feels almost cared for as they both strip in the dark (neither suggests to turn on the lights) and Ten wordlessly lends Taeyong an oversized shirt to sleep in. He can see his silhouette in the dark, the lights still shining through the massive window behind him, and Taeyong is a sinuous black shadow against the cool city lights of Seoul, graciously shimmying out of his clothes, leaving them on the ground, and slipping into Ten’s. They crawl under the covers together, and there’s a whole lot of bare skin Ten is not fully ready for. Taeyong doesn’t even try to stay in his space but immediately curls up next to Ten, grabbing his hips as they face each other in the dark. He can faintly make out the reflection of the lights in Taeyong’s eyes, and the shadows cast by the arches of his nose and mouth. He looks like an art gallery at night, with the lights off, when no one is supposed to see the paintings. 

“I like it,” whispers Ten, faces so close he can feel Taeyong’s breath mingle with his own, “having you here.”

One of Taeyong’s naked legs brushes against his and they shiver in unison. Taeyong suddenly hides his face under Ten’s chin, pressing it against the hot skin of his neck, lips on his chest. Tentatively, Ten wraps an arm around him and hugs him closer.

“I don’t do this often,” whispers Taeyong, and Ten can feel every single syllable against his skin. “I don’t let people in easily. But this feels… different.” 

“How?” 

“I’m not sure. Less temporary. Like we have time. Like you will still be there in the morning when I wake up,” he lifts his face a little, “I hope so, at least.” 

“We have all the time in the world,” murmurs Ten, soothingly stroking his hair, eyelids heavy. “We can take this at any pace you want. I don’t mind waiting, as long as I have you.”

It’s probably one of the most honest things Ten has ever said in his life. It’s also one of the hardest, and he’s sure Taeyong can feel his pulse hammering against his throat.

“You have me,” says Taeyong very quietly. He shifts a little, his nails dragging a bit on Ten’s naked chest, and he inhales sharply but doesn’t speak yet. “You have me, Ten,” repeats Taeyong, so low against his chest Ten can barely hear him. 

They fall asleep like that. Ten watches the sun rise over Taeyong’s sleeping frame, bathing him in gold and copper, and feels like the luckiest man in the world. 

  


*

  


“So where do you go from there?”

Ten sighs and fits his phone in the space between his shoulder and ear as he gets out of the car.

“I don’t know. We’re taking it slow, I think.”

“And you’re okay with that?” asks Yuta on the other side of the line, a little surprised.

“It’s Taeyong, Yuta. I’m okay with pretty much anything.” He pauses and locks his car, then starts walking towards the lobby of the building. “We’ve been texting. Calling at night. It’s weird, because we live so close but we both work so much we barely see each other. But then again, it’s only been a little over a week.” 

“So you’re willing to wait, huh?”

“Don’t sound so shocked. Taeyong has his own timing, and I’m willing to respect that.”

He presses the elevator button and quickly casts a spell so he doesn’t lose signal. 

“I might have sped things up a little, anyway,” says Yuta, a clear grin in his voice Ten knows all too well.

“Oh god,” Ten arrives at his floor and unlocks the door, “what did you – wait, I have another call.” He closes the door and quickly checks his phone. “It’s work, I have to call you back,” he says quickly, then hangs up on Yuta without even saying goodbye. He sits down on the couch, smiling a little. “Hi.”

“Hey,” says Taeyong. Ten can hear the busy sounds of the city in the background. “Is this a bad time?”

“Not at all, I just got home. Are you getting off work?”

“Yeah, I’m going to dinner at Doyoung’s. My married friend, if you recall?” They both laugh, Ten covering his eyes with a hand as he recalls how he horribly misunderstood the whole situation. “Your friend Yuta called me, by the way.”

“Oh no.”

Taeyong laughs. 

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. He wanted to invite me to the reunion.”

Ten shouldn’t be surprised. A few days ago Yuta and Johnny decided to throw a party, since it’s been exactly ten years since they all graduated from Hogwarts. Ten had assumed the guest list was gonna be mostly Slytherins from their year (save for Donghyuck and Hendery, of course) and a few friends of Johnny. He clearly assumed wrong.

“Ah,” he says slowly. “Are you going?”

“I don’t know yet. Are you?”

It feels like a test, a little bit, and Ten is not used to failing.

“Yes. Although I’m not sure how much fun it would be for you. It’s mostly going to be Yuta and Johnny’s friends.” He comes to a stop, then quickly rephrases it. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want you there, I just thought you deserved a warning on how boring it might get.”

He hears a relieved laugh. 

“It’s okay. I might not be the most social person around, but I can manage. Besides, Yuta said I could bring a date so I wouldn’t get lonely.”

Ten snorts. “Of course he said that.” A beat. “So, are you bringing Doyoung?”

“Do you want me to bring Doyoung?” 

“No.”

Taeyong laughs at the brash honesty.

“Well, are you going alone, or…?”

“It sounds like you’re inviting me to prom, Lee Taeyong.”

“Humor me.”

“Are you asking me to be your date to Yuta’s pretentious party in his pretentious house?” 

“Excuse me, have you seen your own apartment?”

“Ah, so you’re just here to critique my taste in interior design.” 

He loves hearing Taeyong laugh. Ten hardly ever saw him smile when they were back in school together, and knowing he’s the one behind that quiet, breathy laugh of his leaves him almost light-headed. 

“Will you be my date, then?”

Ten smiles, makes him wait a little bit, can almost picture Taeyong sitting in his car and tapping nervously on the steering wheel. 

“Yeah,” he stretches on the couch, “I guess that could be arranged.”

  


*

  


Ten gets to Yuta’s place early – best friend privileges, says Yuta, which pretty much means free labor because he just ends up helping him and Johnny set up the outrageous amount of alcohol, hide any valuables (which they have a lot of, because Yuta is still Yuta) “just in case”, and then lounging on the chairs with cocktails in hand, waiting for the other guests. Ten knows all the people who come in, as expected. 

“Hyuuuung!” He feels someone hug him tightly from the back and Donghyuck places a wet kiss on his neck. Ten rolls his eyes. “You look so handsome tonight.”

“You’ve been here for twenty minutes, Hyuck, how are you already drunk?”

“Ugh,” Donghyuck clings closer to him, “I was trying to prove to Lucas I have a better alcohol tolerance than him.”

“That went well, I see. Isn’t Hendery around?”

“Yeah, I just left him in the living room because he was being boring.” 

Ten chuckles. Donghyuck is already obnoxiously endearing, but drunk Donghyuck is especially needy. He’s about to reply when he sees the door open in the distance and his eyes immediately fix on Taeyong. He’s wearing a shirt loosely tucked into his pants, and his hair is styled. Were it anyone else, Ten would immediately shake Donghyuck off before his date could see them; but this is Taeyong, and Ten’s life is always like this – he overshares with his friends, his dongsaengs are always all over him, and if he has to press the pause button on that for the sake of a quick fling he will, but Taeyong is not a fling, and Ten hopes whatever they’ve got going on is certainly not gonna be quick. Their eyes meet from opposite sides of the room. Taeyong seems a bit startled, but Ten just smiles and motions for him to get closer, Donghyuck still plastered against his back.

“Hey,” greets Ten, leisurely taking a sip of his drink, “I don’t know if you remember Lee Donghyuck. Hyuck, be polite and say hi.”

Donghyuck grumbles but finally disentangles himself from Ten enough to shake Taeyong’s hand, then quickly scrambles away as soon as he makes eye contact with Ten and sees the look on his face. 

“He seems intense,” says Taeyong tentatively.

Ten laughs. “Yeah, they all are. He’s probably off to pestering Yuta now.”

“You weren’t wrong,” Taeyong takes a seat, still a bit careful. “I can recognize most faces but don’t really know any names.” 

“I can introduce you to people.” 

“Is this _meet the friends_ , then?”

Ten laughs a little, takes another sip of his drink. “If you want to. But we can do that another time, too. As I said, they’re a handful.” Taeyong still seems pensive as he stares into his drink, and Ten is not blind, so he decides to speak up. “We’re all very close, and Hyuck is especially touchy, but we will never be more than friends.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You really need to work on your poker face, Lee.”

Taeyong grins sheepishly. “Sorry. It’s just weird to see someone else… touching you.”

He blushes after that, and the words do something weird to Ten’s stomach, like tying and untying a million knots. He smirks.

“Didn’t think you were the jealous type.”

“I’m not.” He pauses. “Usually.”

Ten laughs under his breath and confidently takes Taeyong’s hand in his, their fingers linked together over the counter. 

“Want me to show you Yuta’s terrace?”

“Why, is it that impressive?” Taeyong is hiding a smile.

“Not much, I just wanted an excuse to get you alone.”

He loves the way Taeyong flushes at that, and how easily he lets Ten tug his hand and drag him outside, the near summer making the night air just a little chilly. They settle on one of those benches made of vines that Johnny had insisted on buying, and Ten yelps in surprise when Taeyong, instead of sitting next to him, immediately settles on his lap, slim but firm thighs caging his body. He wasn’t expecting this kind of boldness, but he can’t say he minds.

“You look beautiful, by the way,” says Ten softly, a hand coming up to stroke Taeyong’s thigh. “Have I said that already? Because I must have thought it at least ten times since you arrived.” 

Taeyong gives an embarrassed laugh but doesn’t look away.

“You just say whatever is on your mind, don’t you?”

“Most of the time, yes. Does it bother you?”

“I like it,” replies Taeyong with a little smile. He settles a hand on Ten’s waist and gets a little closer to him. “It feels like ages since I last saw you.”

“I mean, put two workaholics together…”

“Together, huh?”

Ten sits up a little, which brings Taeyong even closer, and their belts make a clinking sound when they touch. When he sits up even further, their hips are suddenly pressed together and Ten puts his hands at the small of Taeyong’s back, just a few centimeters shy of the curve of his ass. He can feel Taeyong tremble a little at the closeness. 

“So this was a friendly date all along? You should have told me.” 

“You never say what I expect, you know?”

“Is it a good thing?”

“Very.”

Taeyong presses their lips together for just a bare second, then moves back a little to look at Ten. 

“Have you ever been in love?”

The question takes Ten by surprise, but he doesn’t shy away from it. In fact, he brings Taeyong a little closer, and revels in the fact that the other can’t help but grind down a little on him, his ass now pressed right above Ten’s crotch. Taeyong’s breath comes out in short and harsh gasps.

“Once,” says Ten quietly. “A few years ago.”

“Was it painful?”

“Painful? No. Bittersweet, maybe, when we had to part ways, but in the end I don’t regret any of it. Why do you ask?”

“I…” Taeyong clears his throat when one of Ten’s hands comes up to trace the outline of his spine over his thin shirt, but goes on. “I guess I’ve never been in love myself. I usually cut things short whenever I can feel it’s about to happen, whenever I get too close to someone. I’m not very… trusting. You’ve probably noticed,” his smile is a little sad. “It’s hard for me to let go. I’m not much of a risk-taker.”

“There’s a difference between being cautious and running away.”

Taeyong stiffens a little. “Are you calling me a coward?”

“No. But I’d like to know if I’m walking into this already knowing I’m going to get my heart broken.” 

Taeyong is quiet for a while.

“What would you do, if you knew that by the end of this I would walk away?”

Ten doesn’t need to think about it. He already knows. He has a feeling Taeyong does, too.

“I’d still take my chances.”

“And risk it all, just like that? Why?”

Ten places a hand on Taeyong’s cheek and looks at him in the eyes for a long moment. Taeyong looks nervous, almost scared, but he doesn’t look away.

“You’re not blind, Lee Taeyong. I think you know why.”

“I’m already too close to you,” says Taeyong quietly. “Normally that would terrify me. Honestly, it still does. But… I don’t want to walk away. Not from you. Not when I feel this way.”

“How do you feel?” asks Ten slowly. He can feel his own heartbeat pick up, but he doesn’t move his hand away from Taeyong’s face, delicately tracing his cheekbones.

“I’m not sure I have the words for it. But it’s never been like this before.” 

“Then don’t, Taeyong. Don’t walk away.” Ten’s fingers stop at the corner of his mouth. “I already told you I’m willing to take this at your own pace. We don’t have to put a name to it, if you don’t want to. We can go slow. We can do whatever you’re comfortable with.” 

“It’s strange, you know?” Taeyong averts his eyes, his lips brushing against Ten’s finger when he speaks. “Normally that’s exactly what I would want. But not this time. I _want_ to call you mine.”

“Taeyong.” Ten’s voice is quiet and serious, and he runs his finger along his bottom lip, which makes Taeyong look at him again. Their eyes meet for a second, and Ten can tell Taeyong is still scared, but there’s always something else, something more, which doesn’t speak of carefulness at all. “I _am_ yours.” 

Taeyong’s breath hitches. 

“What if I don’t want slow, this time?” 

Ten buries his fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling a bit in the way he knows by now Taeyong likes it. He never stops looking at him as he says: “Kiss me.”

The way Taeyong smiles softly at him before crashing their lips together already has Ten out of breath. It feels like too long since he got to touch him, and Ten doesn’t waste any time, turning the kiss heated when he opens his mouth and lets Taeyong slip his tongue into his mouth. He has his eyes closed, but he can almost picture him straddling his lap, inching closer by the second, Ten’s fingers running through his hair then pressing slightly on his neck, against his pulse. Taeyong gasps and breaks the kiss for a second, lips shiny and eyes wide open.

“Is that okay?” asks Ten softly, his fingers still slightly pressing on Taeyong’s throat.

“Yeah,” he replies, voice a little hoarse, “yeah, just keep… don’t stop…”

The rest of his words get lost in Ten’s mouth, and this time he pulls Taeyong closer by the hips, chests brushing together. Ten moans when Taeyong grinds down again, his dick already half hard, the friction of the jeans coloring the pleasure with edges of pain. He hooks a finger in Taeyong’s belt and pulls. He can feel him harden under his palm, Taeyong breaking the kiss for a second and breathing harshly against his cheek. Ten chases his lips in an open-mouthed kiss. 

“Beautiful,” he whispers, pressing his palm down on Taeyong’s erection, and there’s nothing more intoxicating than having Taeyong squirming on his lap. He rubs him a little through his pants and Taeyong lets out a small whine.

“Someone could walk out,” he says brokenly, grasping at Ten’s shirt with both hands. What he gets in return is Ten playing with the buckle of his belt, tracing the outline of his cock through the pants.

“So what?” he murmurs, then gives Taeyong a crooked smile and sits back a little, enjoying the sight for a second. Taeyong looks flushed, hair disheveled and shirt falling a little off one of his shoulders. The lighting on the terrace is enough that he can see he’s painfully hard, harsh pants escaping his lips. “Worried someone might see you, know you’re not as proper as you look?” Taeyong just moans helplessly at that, and he slumps against Ten’s body when he feels the other swiftly undo his belt, making quick work of the button and unzipping his jeans right after. “Or is that what you want?” he blows the words right into Taeyong’s ear and feels him shiver. “Do you want people to see you this wrecked, Taeyongie?” 

“Fucking hell, Ten,” he grits out, now pushing his dick against the hand that’s stroking him through his underwear. “Don’t… say stuff like that…”

“Why, Yongie?” He loves the way he reacts to the nickname, Taeyong pressing his face against Ten’s damp neck and biting a little at the skin, horny and frustrated at the same time. “Isn’t it true?”

“Fuck.” Ten is playing with the elastic of his boxers, twirling it around his fingers. “Please, touch me. Please.”

“Thought you were worried about – “ 

“Fuck, Ten, _please_ , if you keep talking like that I’m gonna come in my pants.”

“You do have a filthy mouth on you,” he chuckles, then he slips a hand into Taeyong’s underwear as he kisses him filthily, lapping up the relieved moan Taeyong lets out. This time Ten doesn’t tease.

He smears the precum on Taeyong’s tip all over his shaft, feeling him hot and throbbing under his touch, and Taeyong is shaking in his hold, pushing his hips forward slightly. Ten strokes him fast, the friction still a little rough, but something tells him Taeyong doesn’t mind. He pushes his underwear down more to play with his balls, and Taeyong moans a little too loud at that, and immediately returns to hiding his face against his neck.

“Nu-uh,” grins Ten, bucking up slightly, his own erection hard against Taeyong’s ass, “want to see you.”

“I’m not – people will hear – “ 

“You’ll just have to keep quiet then, won’t you?”

“God, fuck, I can’t,” he babbles, Ten’s hand working him quick as he leaves bites all over his collarbone. 

“Then I guess we’ll give people a show.” Ten smiles smugly as he leaves a kiss on his throat, swiping his thumb over Taeyong’s tip and earning a broken moan. “You sound so pretty, baby.”

“Don’t say shit like that – don’t – “ 

“Why shouldn’t I,” he places his other hand behind Taeyong’s neck, keeping him still as he continues stroking him, now faster. “You look and sound incredible right now.”

The reply is just a broken: “Ten,” and just with that Taeyong comes undone, back arching as he grabs Ten’s shoulders and comes between their bodies, all over his boxers and Ten’s now rumpled shirt, cheeks on fire and breath ragged. 

“God, I love the way you say my name,” whispers Ten, grabbing him roughly for a kiss.

“I want you to fuck me,” mewls Taeyong, voice still wrecked from his orgasm, “fuck, Ten, I want it so bad, please, god – “ 

Ten feels like he might be going insane, and he wantonly bucks up against Taeyong, grabbing his ass unceremoniously with both hands. Suddenly they hear a voice and Taeyong has barely the time to tuck himself back into his underwear, Ten pulling him close so no one will see his pants are undone. Taeyong is facing the other way from the door, still shaking a little. He feels so warm and comfortable which is doing absolutely nothing to help Ten’s own erection, not so subtly hidden under the material of his pants. He eyes the two people who came out on the terrace – Jaehyun and his girlfriend Hyejin – who luckily don’t pay them much attention, though Hyejin does notice them and how close they are. She gives a feline grin before turning away to distract Jaehyun. Ten will have to remind himself to thank her. 

“We’re good,” he whispers, trying to be subtle as the zips Taeyong’s pants back up. “Almost.” He looks down at his shirt. 

Taeyong giggles nervously. “Fuck. Sorry.” He grabs his wand from the jacket he discarded on the other side of the bench, and the stain on Ten’s shirt immediately disappears. He sways his hips a bit when he moves to put the wand back and Ten has to bite his lips not to moan out loud. Fucking hell. 

“Let’s go to my place,” he breathes out.

Taeyong looks back at him.

“Are you sure you can go back in like that?”

“Judging by the way we both look, I don’t think anyone would be surprised.” He throws his head back and laughs a little airily. “Do you want to go?”

“Only if you fuck me when we get back to yours,” whispers Taeyong against his ear, and Ten can feel his own dick twitch.

“ _Taeyong_.”

“What? Can’t handle a taste of your own medicine?”

His smile is wicked. He knows exactly what he’s doing, especially when he presses down again against Ten’s clothed erection and. Okay. Enough. He’s not about to come in his very expensive pants. 

“We’re going,” he growls, Taeyong crawling off his lap, and he sneaks an arm around his thin waist and keeps him close as they hurriedly go back inside. They briefly meet Yuta and Johnny before heading out the door.

“Leaving already?” laughs Yuta, the smug fucker. Taeyong snorts and Ten pinches his side hard, and Yuta makes an exasperated expression when that makes Taeyong gasp.

“Wonderful hospitality, great cocktails, now fuck off somewhere else, Nakamoto.”

“Love you too, Tennie!”

Yuta’s voice chases them down the stairs and by the end of it they’re giggling like teenagers. They could just teleport back at Ten’s apartment, but it’s more thrilling to wait for a cab, holding hands tightly, Taeyong barely managing to hide his giddy smile. Ten is pretty sure the driver doesn’t appreciate them shamelessly making out in the backseat, especially when Taeyong places a hand dangerously high on Ten’s leg, so he makes sure to tip him way more then necessary and give an apologetic grin before they scramble out of the cab. They both left their cars at Yuta’s place, because there’s no way Ten would be able to drive in this state, not to mention they both had something to drink. 

The way they kiss in the elevator is frantic, and they barely make it into Ten’s bedroom before he’s already ripping Taeyong’s shirt off, latching his mouth to his nipples and then licking over the delicious dips of his abs on the sides of his stomach.

He realizes Taeyong is getting hard again and feels a shiver run through his body as he comes up again to kiss him, more slowly this time, letting their breaths even out. Taeyong slowly unbuttons his shirt and slips it off Ten’s shoulders. His fingers slowly caress the skin, his touch feather-light, dancing from the slope of his shoulders down to his hips, then coming up again to touch his chest. They only stop kissing to come up for air, and Ten can’t help a smile when he looks at Taeyong, shirtless and all but glowing in his bedroom, styled hair ruined but somehow making him look even more enticing. 

“You’re always staring,” chuckles Taeyong.

“Can’t help myself,” he admits, getting a little closer again, hands at the other’s belt. “You look too good. It makes me wanna keep you in this bedroom forever.”

“Not sure I would complain,” grins Taeyong, and he gasps shortly after as Ten tugs his pants and underwear down after making quick work of his belt. They pool at his ankles and, breathless, Taeyong toes off his shoes first then steps out of his pants, now completely naked and watching Ten with those doe eyes of his, the blush spreading to his neck and chest. Ten runs a hand up one of his thighs, reveling in the firmness of the muscle, then stops to rub at his hipbone and lets his fingers travel to Taeyong’s bare ass. Taeyong closes his eyes for a moment, knees trembling a little. 

“You’re overdressed,” he murmurs, eyes still closed as he feels Ten’s hands touch him softly all over, stroking his back and coming down to his ass again, the touch now more firm, almost rough.

“Not for long.”

He doesn’t miss the glance Taeyong gives to his window – it’s one of those massive window walls that go from ceiling to floor, because it does something to Ten’s ego to wake up every morning and look down on the entirety of Seoul. Something warm coils in his gut.

“You need to tell me if you don’t like something,” he says softly, taking a second to bring his lips close to Taeyong’s again, breathing the words into his mouth. “Okay?”

“It’s you, Ten,” he laughs a little, then steals a quick kiss, “I’m down for pretty much anything.”

“Dangerous words, Lee Taeyong.”

Ten kisses him deeply, holding him tight by the waist, Taeyong’s hard cock brushing against his jeans as he backs him up until the other’s back hits the cool glass of the window, and Taeyong gasps. He quickly looks back, the city glittering under his eyes.

“Pretty,” he whispers.

“Look at it,” says Ten quietly, gently maneuvering him until his chest is pressed against Taeyong’s back, his mouth at the nape of his neck. He can feel his chest rise and fall rapidly with every breath. “A little closer.” 

“Feels like the whole city is staring at us,” says Taeyong, moving closer to the window.

“I bet they like what they see.” 

Ten bites at his shoulder and suddenly he presses Taeyong against the window, chest flat on the surface and his hard cock trapped between his belly and the glass. Taeyong lets out a startled moan.

“I – “ his voice gets stuck in his throat as Ten nudges his legs open, and Taeyong willingly spreads his thighs further, arching against the window. He rests his cheek on the glass, breaths shallow. 

“You look so beautiful when you let go.”

Ten kisses down his neck and then his spine, the skin smooth and dotted with the odd freckle here and here, and Taeyong’s palms come to the window when his mouth brushes softly against the swell of his ass, kissing first, then biting at one of his cheeks, which has Taeyong squirming harder. 

“Don’t move,” he says, leaving one last kiss to the back of his thigh before quickly walking to his bedside table and going through the drawer. He can feel Taeyong watching his every action, but he doesn’t move an inch, and Ten is mesmerized for a second. He always feels like Taeyong looks like a work of art, something entirely out of this world, but he doesn’t think he’s ever looked better than this, golden skin exposed and slightly glistening with sweat, pressed against the glass, the city lights painting his body a million different colors. 

Ten goes back to him, hugging him from the back for a few seconds, resting his head on his shoulder and just listening to the quiet sound of their breathing in the dark room. 

Taeyong spreads his legs a little further when he hears the sound of the lube being uncapped, and Ten can’t help but moan softly at the image. He warms up the lube between his fingers a bit before he leaves a kiss at the bottom of Taeyong’s neck and starts circling his hole with a finger. 

He slips it in easily enough after coating his hole with more lube, and Taeyong hums, dick brushing against the cool glass and making him tremble all over. 

“You can – ah – add another.”

Ten takes his time spreading him open, and he even goes beyond that, to the point where Taeyong is leaking and clenching his ass around his fingers, rubbing himself against the window first only to push back against Ten’s fingers a second after, whole body flushed and hot. 

“It’s enough,” he pleads, “fuck, Ten, I’m ready, you know I’m ready – “ 

“You’re too good,” mouths Ten against his skin, pressed tightly against him. “Too fucking good for me, Taeyongie. God, just look at yourself. So beautiful. So fucking eager, aren’t you?”

He curls his fingers just a little. Taeyong’s eyes are starting to look shiny with tears, and unfocused. 

“Don’t know how you do it,” he breathes out, voice broken in the most exquisite way possible. “It feels so fucking good already, ah – “ 

“Want you to feel so fucking amazing, Yongie,” he pushes his fingers a little deeper and Taeyong’s thighs start to shake. “Want to be all over you.”

His own words are starting to sound a little slurred with arousal, Ten’s dick still trapped into his pants and impossibly hard as he keeps scissoring his fingers inside Taeyong, only brushing his prostate once or twice. He can make him come on his fingers alone next time. _Next time._ Fuck. He repeats so out loud and Taeyong just lets out a long moan.

“God, please, just – Ten, I can’t hold on much longer, please, baby – “ 

Ten wasn’t expecting himself to react this way just at the name, but he’s been restraining himself for so long, and it’s enough to make him quickly pull out his fingers and take off the rest of his clothes. 

“Look ahead,” he whispers, voice rough in the quiet night, as he rolls on a condom and coats his own dick with lube, careful not to press down too hard, because he knows a few strokes and the sight of Taeyong naked and begging would immediately make him come undone.

“Not sure how long I can last,” he chuckles breathlessly, and Taeyong gives a satisfied moan when he feels Ten line up with his entrance, the tip right at his hole but not pushing in yet.

“Don’t care,” murmurs Taeyong, finally turning back a little and managing to kiss him despite the awkward angle. “Just take me. I need you so bad, love.” 

And Ten is so weak for Taeyong’s voice and his words and his body so he can just whisper a few broken praises as he pushes into him, meeting no resistance and not stopping until he’s buried all the way, his dick hard and throbbing as Taeyong’s walls tighten deliciously around him.

“Fuck – yes – please, Ten – “ 

He grabs Taeyong’s wrists, splaying his hands open against the glass, and starts thrusting into him with all the desperation of years of pent-up desire, letting go of one of his wrists only to push a hand against his back, pressing Taeyong further into the glass. He knows the drag of his cock against the window must be borderline painful, especially with how hard he’s fucking him now, but Taeyong just moans and asks for more more _more_ and Ten is willing to give him anything he wants.

“Look down,” he pants, and the way Taeyong does so immediately makes his head spin. “We have the whole world below us, baby. I will give it all to you if you only ask.” 

Taeyong moans, his ass tight as he pushes back further against Ten’s cock, and he moans even louder when Ten shoves him roughly back against the window.

“Fuck Ten, oh my god, you’re – you’re everything, you’re fucking _everything_ – “ 

“Yours. I’m yours, baby.”

He grabs Taeyong’s hips with both hands now, lifting one of his thighs slightly until Taeyong’s knee hits the glass, and fucks into him deeper, a little slower, lips biting and sucking where his neck and shoulder meet, the skin reddening quickly. 

He reaches out to stroke Taeyong’s dick but is surprised when the other shakes his head firmly, hair soaked in sweat, and then moans: “Want to come on your cock,” voice so wrecked it’s almost unrecognizable. Ten loses it at that. 

He bites harshly at Taeyong’s shoulder and starts fucking him faster again, his dick dragging hotly against his walls, pulling out almost all the way only to slam back in forcefully, Taeyong slumped against the window and taking it all, saying his name over and over like a prayer – _please Ten, it’s so good, fuck me harder, oh my god_ – 

“Whole city staring at you,” he growls, “you’re a fucking marvel, baby.”

Taeyong groans, eyes fluttering closed as he rubs his cock against the glass, and Ten can tell he’s about to come by the way his body goes heavier in his grip, Ten almost having to hold him up. So he wraps a hand around his neck, not quite pressing down but enough that Taeyong can feel the weight, and fucks into him harder, rougher, not stopping even for a second until he hears Taeyong let out a high-pitched cry – his name, _his name_ – before coming all over the fogged up window, and that’s all it takes for Ten to come undone too, grabbing Taeyong’s hips in a bruising grip as he comes inside him, thrusting shallowly until he’s completely spent, legs going numb. Taeyong leans a little against him, like he can’t trust his own legs to hold him up, and somehow Ten manages the last effort of taking off the condom after slipping out of him, his orgasm-fazed brain saying something about how he misses his heat already. He drags Taeyong to bed and they climb on the bedsheets together, not willing to let go of each other, Taeyong’s hands all over his body as he kisses him breathless. 

“I can’t really feel my body anymore,” he says, a smile in his voice.

“Mm-mh. Same here. Worth it, though.”

Ten cradles him a little closer, and Taeyong rests his head comfortably against his chest, sneaking a quick kiss just below his nipple.

“Not to stroke your ego or anything, but that might have been the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Consider my ego stroked anyway.”

He hears a small laugh, Taeyong playfully shoving him away. 

“It’s just… the way you take care of me. No one has ever done that before. You actually _listen_ to me.”

Ten sits up a bit, expression turning more serious, and cards his fingers through Taeyong’s soft hair.

“I meant it, you know. I would do anything you want. Anything that makes you feel good.”

“Should I get out my list of kinks?”

“I think I might have figured out a few already.”

Taeyong laughs again, and it’s such a beautiful sound Ten just has to kiss him, the sheets rustling beneath them. 

“I will always listen to you,” he says, more softly. “What you’re comfortable with, what you want… And I’m not just saying in bed.” 

“I know,” replies Taeyong, just as quietly. “I can tell, somehow. That’s what makes it so good.” 

“Ah, and there I thought it was my dick.”

Taeyong snorts and suddenly gets on top of him, grinning.

“That too.”

Ten lets himself be kissed senseless, loving the weight of Taeyong on top of him, the way it all feels so comfortable and how in some inexplicable way Taeyong’s touch both sets his skin on fire and makes him feel at home, finally at peace. It all leaves him in awe. It must show on his face, because when Taeyong looks at him again he gently brushes away the dark hair from his forehead, tracing his lips with a finger.

“Are you serious about us?” he asks all of a sudden, and seems to be surprised himself at the question, but doesn’t turn away. Ten just looks at him.

“Do you even have to ask?”

“Not exactly the most trusting person ever, remember?”

Ten sighs, sits up on his elbows so they can be a little closer, the brush of their naked bodies still every bit exhilarating.

“Yeah. I am. I’m really fucking serious about me and you, Lee Taeyong.” 

He almost looks like he already knew but is still somehow surprised by it, and Taeyong just nods slowly. Then he smiles to himself. 

“It’s all different, you know. It’s new. To feel…” he seems to look for the right words, and Ten has been a coward many times in his life, but not this one. This time he has too much at stake.

“… Loved?”

Taeyong lets out a long breath. He looks at him and Ten feels like this is it – this is when he finds out if he’s going to get broken all over again. Because he might act flirty and throw jokes and behave like he doesn’t really care much about anything, but all of that immediately disappears when it comes to Taeyong. He wonders if in some way it was always meant to be like this. If they wouldn’t have worked at all, back then, Ten still too proud and Taeyong still too guarded. He thinks that if he gets _this_ , if he gets Taeyong looking at him the way he is right now, ten years of waiting were worth it.

“You know I’m in love with you, don’t you?”

It leaves his lips before he can even think about it. Ten still doesn’t regret it.

Taeyong bites his own lip, and he looks like he wants to laugh and cry at the same time, eyes a little heavy.

“Is it too early to say that I love you too?”

This time, Ten does break. But it’s in the best way possible. He leaves a long kiss on Taeyong’s waiting lips, hoping that he can feel it – all of it, the yearning, the gloomy days, the tiredness still deep in his bones, the way having him close makes Ten feel just alive enough that he can go on another day.

He smiles, eyes a little wet. 

“You’ve known me ten years. I think it’s just right.”

  


**Author's Note:**

> My editor: you need to take a break. Seriously. It's mandatory. Don't write, don't read, don't do anything. Just rest.  
> Me: yeah sure dude you got it   
> Also me: *spends my "break" writing this fic* 
> 
> Welcome back everyone! I'll try not to make this note too long because my brain is fried and mayyybe i should have listened to my editor, but I wanted to write some TaeTen romance, so ;_;   
> This is my longest fic to date, which I really wasn't expecting, and it took me quite a while to both write it and edit it, so I hope the end result was worth it. It was also somehow emotionally draining for me; I'm training myself to write more romance and fluff (plot twist: in real life I'm a fantasy, horror and dystopia writer, but don't tell anyone) and by the end of the second editing round I also realized I poured part of my personality into Ten's character unintentionally. Taeyong is also the most difficult character for me to write BY FAR, maybe because our personalities are very different and also because I have to pick and choose from that grey area that is the massive switch between his real self and his stage persona. TaeTen usually pull some angst out of me, which was the original plan for this fic, but I decided to leave that mostly in the background and focus on the growth of both Ten and Taeyong as people - on their own, and together. 
> 
> This fic was quite a task, but I'm happy I completed it, especially because so much of it tested my comfort zone as a writer (dialogue heavy, characters with difficult personalities to depict, lots of romance...)  
> I hope you guys enjoyed it, whether you're back here after the JohnYu Hogwarts!AU (they're engaged now hehe) or whether you just stumbled upon this story today but still made it to the end. 
> 
> Huge thanks for reading, as always, and I hope you'll leave a comment if you enjoyed this, and kudos and bookmarks are very much appreciated too :*   
> I don't think I can stress this enough, but I swear every time I see a new review on one of my fics or a comment someone added to their bookmark, I feel like the happiest and luckiest writer in the world. Okay, enough sappy stuff! (TaeTen really made me soft, ugh) 
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr @mabushii--hikari (I'm considering taking fic requests, so if you have one go ahead!)   
> As always English is not my first language, so I apologise for any possible mistakes. 
> 
> Thank you so much again for reading. Until next time! 
> 
> Lia


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